Magic Player Reclaims Stolen Deck With Sting Operation

Tap the police.

By
Seth G. Macy

A cache of stolen Magic: The Gathering cards worth roughly $8,000 USD has been recovered by police in Prince William County, VA. The cards belong to 23-year old Kemper Pogue, whose car was broken into to get at the collection.

After having nearly 300 Magic: The Gathering cards stolen, Kemper Pogue did what anyone in a similar situation would do: he went into his house, opened up a beer, and "promptly started screaming expletives," while waiting for the police to arrive, Pogue told The Washington Post.

Police report filed, Pogue then turned to the Internet to help track down his stolen collection. "I’d been collecting these cards since I was a kid," he said, and so he was determined to get them back. Pogue's first move was to alert members of his local Magic community of the theft via Facebook. After that, he called stores in the area that deal in Magic cards to be on the look-out.

One of the suspects had a criminal history that included robbery with a deadly weapon

"When Magic players hear that a collection has been stolen, it’s heartbreaking and they rally around each other to get it back," Pogue told the Post.

The next day, a card store in Virginia reported two men came into the store to try to sell cards matching the description of some of Pogue's pilfered collection. The owner directed the two to a different store, one where Pogue frequents. Tom Haid, the owner of Curio Cavern in Springfield, asked the men to return at 8 that night to make a deal.

According to the report, two plainclothes officers were waiting inside the store, with others in the parking lot. One of the suspects had a criminal history that included robbery with a deadly weapon, so tensions were high.

But the plan went off without a hitch. The customers in the store had been warned of the sting and had been given the option to leave, but had opted to stay and support Pogue should the need arise. The two suspects were apprehended and one, 20 year-old Solomon Dyonne Reed, was charged with felony possession of stolen property with intent to sell.

The cards are still in the police evidence room, but Pogue told the Post he expects to have them back soon.